My Saturday was consumed by the Taste of Ocala. The Taste of Ocala is an annual fundraiser that raises money for scholarships for the College of Central Florida. A handful of Ocala’s top restaurants prepare incredibly delicious food for attendees to enjoy and it’s always a lot of fun!
As a member of the planning committee, I met up with the other committee members at the College of Central Florida to decorate and assist participating restaurants on Saturday morning.
I left around 4:15 p.m. to change and pick up Ryan and returned at 5:30 p.m. to help tie up any loose ends before the judges arrived at 6 p.m.
I walked around with one of the judges and had a great time listening to the restaurants explain their dishes. My mouth was watering and I couldn’t wait to dig into the food once the judges finished and the event officially began.
While the judges walked from booth to booth, the cocktail party outside seemed to be going well!
We moved the event up by several weeks this year since last year’s cocktail party was a little too warm. The weather was perfect and there was a nice breeze that kept everyone cool.
Ryan and I both sipped on some wine while checking out the silent auction.
Big thanks to Reebok, the beautiful W Hotel Atlanta Buckhead and Harry & David for answering my emails and generously donating items to this auction!
Once the doors opened around 7:15 p.m., everyone started making their way around the room and filling their plates.
To say the food was delicious would be an understatement! I ended up feeling so full by the end of the night, but with so many fantastic dishes to try, I didn’t want to miss anything!
My stand-out dishes for the evening included the lobster risotto from the Braised Onion, the cannoli from Magnolia Bakery, Frutissia’s coconut ice cream and the cinnamon sugar grilled pineapple from Ipanema.
It was a fun and filling night!
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Grilled pineapple sounds delicious!
I love your dress. It all sounds wonderful, I would love to try lobster risotto.
I love your dress! You look beautiful, as always!
This looks like such a fun event to be apart of!! The food looks beyond amazing, and I would have tried everything, no doubt!
Oh my gosh that looks like fun! I love your dress and necklace combo!
Sounds very cool. I’d love to be on a committee someday to help with an event I care about. (And certainly if there’s food involved.) 🙂
I love the color of your dress! So pretty! Sounds like a lovely event and the food looks delicious 🙂
Looks like a fantastic event! I’ve helped plan a few fundraisers for the Jr League- it’s a lot of work but so rewarding when you see everything come together. Your dress is so pretty and I LOVE that necklace! Aaand it’s now only 8:50am and I’m craving lobster risotto.
I am attending my first Taste of the Nation Hartford event on Thursday and I cannot wait to try food from soo many different restaurants!! I will be sure to roll out of their with a food baby!
Oh that is my kind of event! Looks like you and Ryan had a fantastic time, and your dress is beautiful on you!
That is my kind of event! yummy, yummy!
I can definitely see that being both fun and filling. It’s also beautiful!
Oh my goodness, I think I would have ate about five cannoilis. They look amazing!
Everything looks delicious and I LOVE your dress!
Looks like the event was a success!
Yum!! Looks like you had a great time and your dress is gorgeous!
omg those desserts..and love your dress!
You look gorgeous!
What a gorgeous couple! Sounds like a great night!
Those cannoli’s look ah-mazing!! And you looked great, too! 😉
What a fun night! And, it’s even more cool that you got to be a part of it and not just a guest. I would love to go to a Taste of Boston!
I looove your necklace! And coconut ice cream sounds insanely delicious.
thanks! it was a christmas present from my sister. 🙂
That cannoli display looks delicious! I love your dress! I’m so excited to be moving somewhere this summer that has a taste of the nation!
Everything looks great! I’d love to try that cannoli. I’ve actually never had one!
looks like a fun food-filled night!!
What a fun event with delicious food! It looks like you had a great time! I love your dress, by the way! 🙂
The food looks incredible! Looks like such a fun event, great job helping with all the planning too!
I love events that are sooooooo fun AND raise money for a good cause 🙂 I really like your combo of magenta and turquoise too!! Have a great day Julie!
Looks like a wonderful event! All the food looks phenomenal and it seems like you had a great time!
Very pretty dress! 🙂
Looks like an amazing time!! Julie you had some big events this weekend and I’m totally impressed with everything you do! You make it seem effortless!
AND I’m obsessed with your dress! Your gorgeous! xoxo
Fun!
That’s a great color on you, lady!
Sounds like a lovely night! And I echo everyone above, you look fantastic. The dress is adorable.
Yum! What a great looking event. All the food looks delicious and it sounds like the perfect way to try out some new dishes/restaurants in you area.
Your dress is gorgeous and the food looks delish….what a fun night!
Sounds like a fun time and the food looks amazing! I love your pink dress!
what a beautiful event. your dress is so cute too!
Food! So much FOOD! You’re gorgeous, Julie! 🙂
I looove your dress. You always wear the prettiest dresses! Oh and all the food looks so good 🙂
Mmmmm so much good food! That’s so cool of Harry and David for offering donations to this event!
Pink dress, blue necklace, beautiful combination 🙂
Love the color of that dress! It makes me think that Spring/Summer is FINALLY coming!!
Oh my goodness, all of the food looks so delicious!
Sounds like a great event & a fun night!
Love your dress!
Mmmmm grilled pineapple! & that risotto sounds soooo delicious. Hope you had some for me too!! 😉
Don’t you love events where you get fancy-pants dressed up and eat amazing food! These events are definitely rare in my life, but I like to enjoy them when they do come around. Looks like all your hard work paid off and the event was a success! That food sounded amazing as well.
Wow! Everything looks delicious!!!
Well done looks like an amazing event and food sounds amazing! The pink really suits you! 🙂
Admittedly I am NOT a fashionista and I generally like your cute outfits, but I’ll be honest-I’m not digging the dress. I think it looks a little too 80s prom-esque. But, I do like the pink color! It goes well with your complexion.
Oh wow, everything looks so good!
Who did the event benefit? (Aka the auction money went to …). Just curious as I’m trying to plan a similar event locally for the centre I volunteer at.